Rockets trade Battier, Brooks in separate deals

Hasheem Thabeet shoots over Shane Battier during a game at the Toyota Center. The Rockets' trade sends Battier to Memphis for Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll and a first-round pick.

Hasheem Thabeet shoots over Shane Battier during a game at the Toyota Center. The Rockets' trade sends Battier to Memphis for Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll and a first-round pick.

Photo: Billy Smith II, Chronicle

Photo: Billy Smith II, Chronicle

Image
1of/1

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 1

Hasheem Thabeet shoots over Shane Battier during a game at the Toyota Center. The Rockets' trade sends Battier to Memphis for Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll and a first-round pick.

Hasheem Thabeet shoots over Shane Battier during a game at the Toyota Center. The Rockets' trade sends Battier to Memphis for Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll and a first-round pick.

Photo: Billy Smith II, Chronicle

Rockets trade Battier, Brooks in separate deals

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

With a swap of backup point guards who have fallen from last season’s successes and an exchange of former Grizzlies lottery picks who’ll be making homecomings, the Rockets dramatically changed their rotation at Thursday’s trade deadline but fell short of their aspirations.

The Suns’ pick is lottery-protected, with the Rockets to receive the Orlando Magic’s first-round pick in the 2011 draft if Phoenix doesn’t make the playoffs.

The Grizzlies’ pick, to go to the Rockets in 2013, is also lottery-protected, shifting to the next season as long as Memphis doesn’t make the playoffs.

“These moves position us better in the future,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. “The big move that helps us now and in the future did not materialize, but we feel like this positions us better down the road to make that move.”

The Rockets are expected to release forward Jared Jeffries in a buyout agreement. Jeffries said last week that he was certain he would be traded or released.

“We’re having discussions,” said Jeffries’ agent, Andy Miller. “I wouldn’t say it is imminent. I would prefer that it would happen sooner than later.”

Brooks and Battier were central to the Rockets’ success during their tenure and the club’s hopes for this season. They were the team captains, and both were starters heading into the season.

With the team’s slide to a long shot for the postseason and both players in the last season of their contracts, the Rockets looked long-term.

“Thabeet is a recent second pick of the draft,” Morey said. “We have an obvious need for a defensive, shot-blocking big. He’s got a chance, with the right approach, to become that for the Rockets. I think (if) you look at the history for bigs, it often takes time.

“We really like Dragic. Obviously, he’s a guy that is a strong playoff performer. He’s been a strong performer his first two years in the league and provides certainty for our backup point guard position into next season.”

Both deals were motivated with long-term considerations, especially with Battier to be an unrestricted free agent after the season and likely to receive greater offers from contenders than from the Rockets. He can bring a defensive mindset and steadying influence to a team fighting for its first playoff spot since he left.

“I am excited to try to tackle unfinished business I left in Memphis five years ago: playoff success,” Battier said. “I will miss the relationships that I’ve built in Houston and will always remember the good times.”

Dragic, 24, became a bit of a national sensation for his 23-point fourth quarter in Game 3 of the 2010 playoff series against San Antonio but has slipped this season, making just 42.1 percent of his shots and 27.7 percent of his 3s. In his third season out of Ljubljana, Slovenia, Dragic has averaged 6.7 points and 2.7 assists in 183 games.

Backing up Nash

Brooks, unhappy with the Rockets’ decision not to extend his contract, has struggled all season, going out with an ankle injury in the season’s fifth game and making just 34.6 percent of his shots and 28.4 percent of his 3s in 34 games. In the last six games, he made 17 of 80 shots. He was upset about his diminished role and walked out in the fourth quarter of a game, earning a one-game suspension, but said he was happy to back up Steve Nash in Phoenix.

“I’ll wait in line,” Brooks said. “That dude is a legend, MVP and a Hall of Famer. I’m ready to go be behind him and learn from him, just come in and help the team. It offers me a fresh start. I’m ready to go. I had some good years in Houston. Time to move on.”

Thabeet a project

The Rockets had been in talks about a variety of centers, including Marcus Camby, Zaza Pachulia, Marreese Speights and Omer Asik. When unable to complete any of those deals, they accepted the offer for Thabeet, considered a long-term project. In 113 career games, Thabeet has averaged 2.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11.1 minutes.

“Guys like Hasheem who have struggled early, if they have struggled multiple times in multiple stops, the probability of them turning it around is low,” Morey said. “(As for) guys who have had difficulty in their first stop, there are many examples of ones who have turned it around. We feel like he’s a good bet.”